A Culinary Journey Through The Basque Country

(Discovering the Gastronomic Heritage of Northern Spain)

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Priced From

$6,998 USD *

(Price Per Person, Double Occupancy)

* Plus taxes. Tours sold on an availability basis.

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7 days | 6 nights

From Bilbao to San Sebastian
Spain's Most Celebrated Food Destination

The Basque Country, in northeastern Spain, is a land of emerald mountains and a dramatic Atlantic coastline. Terraced hillsides host Txakoli vineyards producing a fresh, lightly sparkling white wine that reflects the maritime landscape, while rolling countryside nurtures the apple orchards behind the region's beloved sidra—cider poured straight from towering wooden barrels in convivial siderías. Above all, the Basque Country is a culinary powerhouse. Visionary chefs have reimagined local ingredients with extraordinary creativity, earning the region one of the world's highest concentrations of Michelin stars. This gastronomic excellence unfolds amid elegant cities—Bilbao with its cutting-edge architecture, San Sebastián with its Belle Époque charm, and picturesque towns like Hondarribia and Tolosa. In these places, you will be able to find lively pintxos bars, acclaimed restaurants, renowned markets, and much more as you set your tastebuds alight in this Basque Country Culinary Journey.

A Culinary Journey Through The Basque Country

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Itinerary Accommodations Map FAQ

VACATION HIGHLIGHTS

Please note: Tour inclusions can change depending upon seasonality and weather conditions.

•3 Nights in a Refined 5-star Hotel

•3 Nights in a Deluxe Boutique Hotel

•Personal Welcome and Journey Introduction

•Daily Authentic Basque Breakfasts

•Welcome Dinner at Iconic Restaurant

•4 Lunches, 3 Dinners

•Private Airport Transfers

•English Speaking Guides Each Day

•Traditional Basque Dinner & Wine Pairing

•Private Guided Bilbao City Exploration

•Exclusive Guggenheim Museum Tour

•Gourmet Bistro Lunch

•Hands On Basque Cooking Class

•Chef-Guided Market Tour

•Luxury Basque Countryside Journey

•Authentic Sidrería Experience

•Historic Cider House & Orchard Visit

•Traditional Txikiteo (bar to bar) Tasting

•Private Lunch Cooking Class

•San Sebastián Cuisine & Wine Showcase

•Memorable Farewell Dinner

While our tours are designed as soft adventure experiences, walking, climbing stairs, and in rare cases mild hiking may be required. If you have mobility issues, you should speak with one of our culinary travel specialists to determine if this tour is appropriate for your situation.

AVAILABLE DATES

Please click on the orange "Check Pricing & Dates" button above to view available departures. Other dates may be available for groups of 4 or more.

SAMPLE ITINERARY

Please note: Actual itineraries are subject to change due to seasonality.

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Day 1

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Private Transfer from Bilbao Airport | Welcome & Check-In

Upon arrival at Bilbao Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your private driver and your local host, a professionally licensed guide with deep roots in the Basque Country, who will accompany you through your arrival and first moments in the region. You will then be transferred by a luxury air-conditioned vehicle to your elegant hotel in the heart of Bilbao's city center. Upon arrival at your hotel, your host will be available to assist with check-in if needed, ensure everyone settles in comfortably, and answer any initial questions, making your arrival seamless and relaxed.

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Welcome Drinks & Dinner

Your immersive Basque Country journey begins at one of Bilbao's most distinguished boutique hotels, located in the very heart of the city's cultural district. Set in a Belle Époque–style building, the hotel blends timeless Basque character with contemporary comfort, offering refined rooms and elegant public spaces that still echo stories of illustrious past guests. Relax in your beautifully appointed room or unwind in the hotel's gracious common areas, while your local host remains nearby to offer practical assistance, orientation, and thoughtful local recommendations. Before dinner, you will have the opportunity to gather for a welcome drink, where your host will briefly walk you through the upcoming program, highlight key moments of the journey, and happily answer any questions — an easy, informal way to begin connecting with both the destination and one another. In the evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at one of Bilbao's oldest and most iconic restaurants, where traditional Basque cuisine meets refined contemporary touches. Your local host may join the group, creating a relaxed and convivial atmosphere as the first flavors of the Basque Country are shared. The restaurant has retained its authentic character and is renowned for exceptional fish and shellfish sourced from the northern coastal ports. Signature dishes include txangurro al horno (baked spider crab), grilled prawns, and beautifully aged meats such as their 60-day matured chuletón, paired with carefully selected regional wines. The venue is just a short walk from your hotel, allowing for a leisurely return after this warm and memorable first evening in Bilbao. (D)

Day 2

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Basque Breakfast

Begin your day with a leisurely individual breakfast served in the same elegant dining room where Ernest Hemingway once dined. Enjoy the morning at your own pace, choosing from à la carte and buffet options featuring high-quality local ingredients, including a perfectly prepared Basque omelet, artisanal breads, and seasonal specialties.

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Private Guided Bilbao Tour

Your private guide meets the group in the hotel lobby, marking the start of a carefully curated exploration of Bilbao. Together, you will discover the city's transformed Abandoibarra and elegant Ensanche districts. Once a shipyard quarter, Abandoibarra is now a vibrant riverside area of striking architecture and green promenades anchored by the Guggenheim Museum. Nearby, the 19th-century boulevards and plazas of the Ensanche reveal Bilbao's timeless elegance, with tree-lined streets, grand façades, and stylish cafés.

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Guggenheim Museum Visit & Lunch

Your cultural journey continues with a guided visit to the world-renowned Guggenheim Museum. Even those typically uninterested in contemporary architecture will be captivated by Frank Gehry's titanium clad masterpiece and its celebrated rotating exhibitions of international importance. Your guide, an engaging and highly knowledgeable art historian will bring the building and its collections to life with insight and storytelling. Following the museum visit, your guide will accompany you to the lunch venue, where you will enjoy this culinary experience independently. Lunch is served at an innovative restaurant within the striking Edificio Alhóndiga, a former Modernismo-style wine warehouse now transformed into a cultural landmark. The menu presents a contemporary interpretation of Basque cuisine, featuring beautifully crafted seasonal dishes such as grilled octopus with smoked paprika, Iberian pork cheeks braised in cider, and delicate vegetable tarts, all thoughtfully paired with regional wines. Dinner tonight is on your own. Please feel free to ask your guide for any restaurant recommendations. (B, L)

Day 3

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Basque Breakfast

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Market Visit | Hands-On Cooking Experience

After breakfast, make your way independently to Bilbao's historic Mercado de la Ribera, a short and pleasant walk from the hotel. You will recognize the area from the previous day's walking tour when you passed through this lively riverside quarter. Here, your chef-guide will be waiting to welcome the group and begin your culinary adventure. Strolling through Europe's largest covered market, you will explore colorful stalls brimming with seasonal produce, freshly caught seafood, and regional delicacies. Along the way, you will meet local vendors and learn how the ingredients that define Basque cuisine are selected. From the market, continue to a private, well-equipped cooking studio, where the fun truly begins. Working together with your fellow travelers, you will roll up your sleeves and prepare a selection of traditional Basque dishes under the guidance of your celebrated chef. This collaborative, hands-on experience is designed to be both relaxed and lively—an enjoyable way to share laughs, exchange stories, and bond over food as you cook side by side. Aprons on and glasses raised, you will then sit down to enjoy your own creations, beautifully paired with excellent local wines—an authentic taste of Basque hospitality and conviviality. Dinner is on your own tonight, but let today's cooking experience be an example of what this place has to offer. (B, L)

Day 4

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Basque Breakfast

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Scenic Transfer & Sidrería Visit | Arrival in San Sebastián

Check out and depart together on a comfortable group transfer through the rolling green landscapes of the Basque countryside, en route to San Sebastián. Along the way, you will pause for one of the region's most authentic and beloved traditions: a visit to a traditional Basque sidrería (cider house). Nestled among apple orchards and rustic farmhouses, this historic cider house offers a window into centuries of Basque rural life. Here, you will meet your English-speaking local guide, who will lead you through the orchards, the apple-pressing area, and the atmospheric cellars where cider matures inside towering wooden barrels. As you explore, you will learn how this age-old craft remains deeply woven into Basque culture and everyday life. Your visit culminates in a classic sidrería lunch: a generous meal of fresh cod, premium grilled beef, and seasonal vegetables, accompanied by unlimited cider poured straight from the barrels in the time-honored txotx style. Lively, communal, and delicious, this is a joyful celebration of Basque tradition, hospitality, and shared table culture. After lunch, continue by coach to San Sebastián, arriving in the afternoon. Upon arrival, check into your elegant boutique hotel, a beautifully restored former convent that blends historic character with contemporary comfort. Set in the heart of San Sebastián, just moments from La Concha Beach and the Old Town, this elegant hotel offers serene interiors, refined design, and warm, attentive service.

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Evening Pintxos (Txikiteo) Tour

In the evening, your local guide will meet the group at the hotel and escort you into the heart of San Sebastián's Old Quarter (Parte Vieja), where the city's celebrated food culture comes alive. Enjoy a guided txikiteo, the beloved Basque tradition of moving from bar to bar, sampling each one's signature pintxo. As you stroll through the atmospheric streets lined with historic façades and lively taverns, you will taste a curated selection of creative small plates paired with local wines or cider. You may savor artisanal sheep's cheese delicately accented with fresh mint, golden ham croquettes enriched with pistachio, or fresh crab paired with creamy avocado and crisp fennel. Each stop reveals a new culinary expression, reflecting the pride and imagination of San Sebastián's famed pintxos culture. At the end of the tour, your guide will walk the group back to the hotel, ensuring a relaxed and comfortable return after an evening of culinary discovery and conviviality. (B, L, D)

Day 5

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Basque Breakfast

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Market Walk | Private Cooking Class & Lunch

Later in the morning, your local chef/guide meets the group at the hotel for a pleasant walk through San Sebastián to a local market, where the city's daily rhythm unfolds among colorful stalls and lively conversations. Together, you will select the fresh, seasonal ingredients that will inspire the day's menu. From the market, continue to the cooking studio for a private, hands-on cooking class showcasing the depth and elegance of Basque cuisine. Led in a relaxed and engaging style, the experience introduces you to a range of regional dishes and culinary techniques. Recipes vary according to seasonality and market availability, and may include refined local specialties, such as beautifully prepared hake, alongside classic small plates, and other traditional Basque favorites. Working side by side with your fellow chefs for the day, you will chop, stir, taste, and learn, sharing techniques, laughter, and stories along the way. All recipes are designed to be easily recreated at home, allowing you to bring a true taste of the Basque Country back with you. After enjoying lunch featuring your own culinary creations, the rest of the afternoon and evening is free to enjoy San Sebastián at your own pace. (B, L)

Day 6

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Basque Breakfast

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Free Day to Explore San Sebastián

After breakfast, enjoy a full day at leisure to discover San Sebastián in your own way. Browse gourmet shops in the Gros district, explore contemporary exhibitions at Tabakalera, take a coastal boat ride, try surfing at Zurriola Beach, or simply stroll along the elegant promenade and relax on La Concha's golden sands. Whether cultural, culinary, or coastal, the city oﬀers countless ways to shape the day to your personal interests.

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Farewell Dinner

As evening approaches, make your way to the heart of San Sebastián's Old Town, where your farewell dinner awaits at a carefully selected restaurant, an inviting and atmospheric setting to end your eventful journey. Here, enjoy a seasonal tasting menu showcasing the finest of Basque cuisine, built around pristine local ingredients such as fresh fish, seafood, and farm-grown vegetables, all beautifully paired with distinctive regional wines. The intimate dining room, blending rustic charm with contemporary elegance, provides the perfect backdrop for specialties such as cod pil-pil, Iberian pork loin, or fried anchovies with sea salt. A sweet finale, perhaps a warm pistachio souﬄé with lemon sorbet, brings this memorable evening, and your Basque culinary journey, to a graceful close. (B, D)

Day 7

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Basque Breakfast

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Check-Out & Transfer to Bilbao Airport

After breakfast and check-out from your hotel, your journey comes to a close with a comfortable group transfer to Bilbao Airport. Sit back and relax as you travel in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle, enjoying the final views of the Basque countryside on the way. Time truly flies when immersed in such extraordinary culinary experiences, but you now depart this delicious Edible Destination carrying with you wonderful memories of one of Europe's most distinctive and celebrated regions. (B)

Hotel Carlton

In Bilbao, you'll stay at a distinguished 5-star hotel housed within a beautifully restored Beaux-Arts building in the vibrant Ensanche district. The Guggenheim Museum, Fine Arts Museum, and the city's most acclaimed restaurants are all within comfortable walking distance. The hotel exudes timeless elegance throughout its grand marble-adorned lobby, refined public spaces, and legendary bar that once welcomed luminaries such as Ernest Hemingway and Albert Einstein. Guest rooms blend quiet contemporary sophistication with exceptional comfort, featuring premium amenities and thoughtful design details.

Zenit Convento San Martin

Your stay in San Sebastián is a distinctive deluxe hotel set within a beautifully restored former convent. The renovation blends historic character with contemporary comfort, creating stylish and tranquil rooms where soft modern design is woven seamlessly into the building's original architectural features. Ideally located just moments from La Concha Beach and the historic Old Town, the hotel combines a sense of peaceful retreat with immediate access to San Sebastián's vibrant culinary, cultural, and seaside life.

San Sebastián, Spain•Bilbao, Spain

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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What Currency is being quoted?

The Currency Code is listed directly after the published amount. If it states USD, then the quoted price is in United States Dollars. If it states CAD, then the quoted price is in Canadian Dollars. If it states EUR, then the quoted price is in European Union Dollars…etc. However, please note that all charges are processed in USD, and Epitourean’s Merchant Bank automatically calculates the currency conversion on the day of the charge.

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What does Double Occupancy mean?

Two persons traveling together, and staying in the same room. Tour prices are normally quoted as “per person, double occupancy” in case two people are traveling together and staying in the same room, but paying separately. The cost of the lodging is also shared by two people, thereby reducing costs. This could be a married couple, two friends or relatives.

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What is a Single Supplement?

Whenever a person travels alone, the cost of their lodging cannot be shared by another person. When tour products are priced, they are normally stated as “per person, double occupancy.” Whenever a guest occupies a room as a solo, the whole cost of the lodging must be incurred by that one individual. Tour companies accommodate this by charging a Single Supplement. Epitourean does its best to keep the single supplement as low as possible, but it is a real cost that tour companies must absorb, and must pass along to the single traveler.

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If I am a Solo Traveler, will I be paired with another person?

Epitourean never pairs a solo traveler with another person without a special request. If you book Single Occupancy, you will have a room entirely to yourself. However, should you wish to be paired with another solo traveler to save on the single supplement, you may make this request. We cannot guarantee that we can accommodate such requests, since it would take another solo traveling on the same tour for the same dates. But if requested, we will certainly try.

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Are flights included in the tour price?

No. Flights are never included in the price of our land-only tours. Epitourean does not provide air, rail or sea travel, unless expressly noted in the itinerary.

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May I give a culinary tour as a gift?

Yes. Epitourean has a special program designed specifically for this purpose. Our Gift Packages come with features such as special messages to the recipient, gift box option, gift link (without pricing), and floating dates (should you not know when the gift recipient wants to travel). Contact a Culinary Travel Specialist at 800-390-3292 or customerservice@epitourean.com to receive additional information about this unique offering.

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May we request separate beds if sharing a room?

Yes. In most cases, Epitourean can accommodate a request for two beds to be placed in one room. Just make sure to make this request in the comments section of the reservation process.

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Does each guestroom have a private bathroom?

Yes. Epitourean partners with the best lodging options in each destination, and private (en suite) bathrooms are a requirement. However, you should inquire as to the configuration of bathrooms should you have a special need. For example, some tours include accommodations in medieval villages, where either a shower or bath(but maybe not both) are present.

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Can your tours accommodate my dietary restrictions?

In almost all cases, Epitourean can accommodate dietary choices and restrictions. But we do request that you ask a Culinary Travel Specialist prior to making your reservation so that we can assess your individual situation.

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If I am unable to use a portion of the tour, can I get a partial refund?

Unfortunately, due to vendor and supplier contracts, we are unable to provide partial refunds for unused portions of any tour or tour component.

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Are Transfers included in the Itinerary?

Round-trip transfers from the airport or train station are normally included in our international tours. Transfers to the destination (for both international and domestic tours) are not included in the tour price. Please see the Sample Itinerary. If it mentions that transfers are included, then yes, transfers are included at no additional cost.

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What meals and excursions are included in the tour?

The Sample Itinerary should be your reference. If the meal or excursion is described in the Sample Itinerary, then it is included at no additional charge. For those days where it expressly notes Free time, then any optional activities you elect to participate in might have an additional cost. In addition, if the itinerary states "evening on your own," it would imply that you have the opportunity to visit a restaurant of your own choosing, and at your own expense. If you have any question about inclusions, please submit an inquiry by clicking on the blue "Ask Us a Question" button under the price section.

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Is it possible to book pre or post tours or stays through Edible Destinations?

Yes, we often do have optional 2 and 3 night excursions that are priced separately from the tour. We can also assist with pre and post night stays in a hotel if you choose to come in early before the tour starts, or stay on after a tour ends. The price of those hotel stays are not included in the price of the tour, but we would be happy to provide a quote. Simply ask your Culinary Travel Specialist, or submit an inquiry by clicking on the blue "Ask Us a Question" button.

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Are Guide or Host Gratuities included in the price of the tour?

Since tipping guidelines and customs vary widely between countries, we do not include gratuities in the price of the tour. Your Culinary Travel Specialist can provide you with recommendations. But the general rule is to tip modestly when you are pleased with a guide’s services, either at the end of the tour, or at the conclusion of a specialty day excursion where you will only be with that guide (or chef) on that day.

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Should we plan on any personal expenses during the tour?

All lodging, meals, transfers, classes and excursions mentioned in the Sample Itinerary and Vacation Highlights are included in the price of the tour. However, we highly recommend taking local currency for purchasing personal items, souvenirs, tipping, etc. You can either get the local currency at an airport exchange service, ATM or from your local bank prior to travel. However, you should note that many hosted destinations do not accept credit cards for personal purchases.

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Do you recommend Travel Protection?

We recommend that you purchase a travel protection plan to help protect you and your travel investment against the unexpected. For your convenience, we offer Travelex travel protection plans that can include coverage for Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical and Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation, Travel Delay, Baggage Delay and more. For more information on the available plans or to enroll, click on the link below or contact Travelex Insurance Services at 800-228-9792 and reference location number 06-0248.

The product descriptions provided here are only brief summaries and may be changed without notice. The full coverage terms and details, including limitations and exclusions, are contained in the insurance policy. Travelex CA Agency License #0D10209. Insurance coverages underwritten by Zurich American Insurance Company (NAIC #16535, state of domicile: New York), 1299 Zurich Way, Schaumburg, IL 60196. Coverages available to residents of U.S. States and the District of Columbia only. Certain coverages are not available in all states.

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From Bilbao to San SebastianSpain's Most Celebrated Food Destination

A Culinary Journey Through The Basque Country

From Bilbao to San Sebastian
Spain's Most Celebrated Food Destination